Interesting Random Facts

Can a Snake Kill an Elephant?

The giant king cobra is one of the deadliest creatures in the world. The adult has enormous poison sacs and its venom kills in a very short time.

The king cobra will attack even if it hasn’t been provoked. In Asia, where these snakes are found, king cobras have been known to kill huge elephants. The snake strikes the elephant at the tip of its trunk, which is very soft and tender, or on its foot, where the toenails join its skin. Death from the deadly venom usually occurs within a few hours!

The vast majority of snakes, including King Cobras, retreat when humans are present. They do not “attack” for no reason. King Cobras are well known to hood and defend themselves, growling and showing their fangs to scare the offender away. All of this happened before they ever try to advance or strike. Hardly an attack..

Anonymous

King Cobras do not attack! Since humans are not on their menu, they often are reluctant to strike, even when provoked. Elephants are not on their menu, either; and since they are considerably bigger than humans and can crush a King with one well-placed foot, Kings tend to give them a wide berth.

While it may be possible for King Cobra venom to kill an elephant, it would take a perfectly placed bite, at the perfect time and under the perfect (for the snake) circumstances, to accomplish the task. The likelihood of the snake surviving the elephant’s almost inevitable counter-attack is slim and none!